Search Results (38,566)

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents a cluster of adult-onset neurodegenerative diseases resulting from a combination of genetic and epigenetic factors. Currently, treatment is symptomatic and there are no licensed disease-modifying therapies available. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of ongoing or recently completed clinical studies targeting disease modification in FTD. A structured search of interventional trials of pharmacological compounds was conducted on three clinical trial registries (National Library of Medicine Clinical Trials, European Union Clinical Trials, and the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials registries) up to September 2025. Twelve interventional trials were found. Half targeted autosomal-dominant progranulin (GRN) mutations (n = 6) and half examined therapies targeting neuroinflammatory-induced sporadic FTD (n = 6). The interim results of the early-phase (1/2) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comprising three ongoing gene replacement studies (PROCLAIM, ASPIRE-FTD, upliFT-D) and one immune-modulating monoclonal antibody (INFRONT, now in phase 3)—all targeting the FTD-GRN mutation—show safety, tolerability, and effectiveness in restoring progranulin levels. Two recently completed phase 2 RCTs for sporadic FTD targeting neuroinflammation, the PEA-FTD and C9orf72 ALS/FTD trials, show disease-modifying potential. While interim results from six trials suggest clear mechanistic efficacy, prospective high-quality later-phase RCTs are required to ascertain long-term clinical efficacy. Since familial FTD encompasses less than half of the people with this disease, it is important to continue exploring the underlying pathophysiology, neuroimmunology, and treatment of epigenetic-induced sporadic FTD. Full article

The surface of the Fe40Al5Cr0.2TiB alloy, after oxidation in steam at 700 °C, showed a varied morphology dependent on oxidation time. Initially, a fine, acicular oxide layer formed, which over time transformed into a more compact, lumpy structure corresponding to the α-Al₂O₃ phase. EDS analysis confirmed the dominance of aluminum and oxygen in the oxidation products, and XRD studies revealed the presence of the α-alumina phase. Optical profilometry revealed a significant increase in roughness parameters (R_a and R_z) after long-term exposure (2000 h), which correlates with the thickening and sinterization of the oxide layer. The obtained results indicate that in a water vapor environment, a stable α-Al₂O₃ phase can already be formed at a temperature of 700 °C, and its development leads to increased roughness. Full article

Aluminum nitride (AlN), diamond, and β-phase gallium oxide (β-Ga₂O₃) belong to the family of ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors and exhibit remarkable properties for future power and optoelectronic applications. Compared to conventional wide bandgap (WBG) materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), they demonstrate clear advantages in terms of high-voltage, high-temperature, and high-frequency operation, as well as extremely high breakdown fields. In this work, numerical simulations are performed to evaluate and compare the radiative responses of AlN, diamond, and β-Ga₂O₃ when exposed to neutron irradiation covering the full atmospheric spectrum at sea level, from 1 meV to 10 GeV. The Geant4 simulation framework is used to model neutron interactions with the three materials, focusing on single-particle events that may be triggered. A detailed comparison is conducted, particularly concerning the generation of secondary charged particles and their distributions in energy, linear energy transfer (LET), and range given by SRIM. The contribution of the ¹⁴N(n,p)¹⁴C reaction in AlN is also specifically investigated. In addition, the study examines the consequences of these interactions in terms of electron-hole pair generation and charge deposition, and discusses the implications for the radiation sensitivity of these materials when exposed to atmospheric neutrons. Full article

This study explores the fabrication and characterization of hybrid aluminum matrix composites reinforced with boron carbide (B₄C) and microsilica, produced via ultrasonically assisted stir casting followed by T6 heat treatment. Pure aluminum was selected as the base matrix to evaluate the combined effects of B₄C and microsilica reinforcements. Microstructural analyses showed that ultrasonic treatment effectively dispersed nanoparticles, reduced agglomeration, and enhanced particle–matrix interfacial bonding. T6 heat treatment further refined the grain structure through Zener pinning and promoted the formation of reaction layers at particle interfaces. Mechanical testing revealed that Al/B₄C composites provided the highest strength and hardness, while Al/microsilica systems retained superior ductility. The hybrid Al/B₄C/microsilica composites demonstrated a balanced combination of yield strength (38.6 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (82.6 MPa), and elongation (35.2%), confirming a synergistic strengthening–toughening effect. These results highlight the potential of Al/B₄C/microsilica hybrid reinforcements to optimize the trade-off between strength and ductility in aluminum-based composites. Full article

High-entropy materials have emerged as promising candidates for high-temperature structural, magnetic, and electrochemical applications due to their unique combination of compositional complexity, thermal stability, and tailored functionality. In this study, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was employed to fabricate high-entropy composite in a Ti–Cr–Mn–Co–Ni–Al–C multicomponent system with a focus on elucidating the effect of titanium content on the combustion parameters, as well as on the phase and structure formation patterns of the resulting materials. In situ profiling enables evaluating the maximum combustion temperature of 1560 °C, combustion wave propagation velocity ranging from 0.22 to 4.3 mm/s depending on titanium content, and heating and cooling rates of 300–2000 °C/s and 3 °C/s during synthesis. The synthesized powders exhibited a bimodal particle size distribution, with ~90% of particles below 25 μm and a D50 of 5.38 μm. Post-synthesis densification via spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1250 °C under 45 MPa yielded dense bulk samples, which exhibited a high relative density and high Vickers microhardness of 1270 ± 35 HV10 attributed to fine TiC dispersion and secondary carbide formation. Thermogravimetric analysis performed under air flow with a heating rate of 20 °C/min showed enhanced thermal stability for both the powder and the sintered bulk. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of SHS for rapid, energy-efficient fabrication of high-entropy composites and underscore the critical role of composition in tailoring their structural and mechanical properties. Full article

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have recently attracted considerable attention due to their unique combination of high strength, hardness, and corrosion and wear resistance, making them promising candidates for advanced structural and functional applications. Among these, AlCoCrFeNi-based HEAs are well known for their high hardness and good wear resistance; however, their limited tribological stability under operational conditions restricts their broader application. To address this limitation, tungsten (W) was incorporated into the AlCoCrFeNi system to enhance its mechanical and tribological performance. In this study, the microstructural, mechanical, and tribological properties of AlCoCrFeNiW_x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mol) HEAs were systematically investigated. The alloys were fabricated using the vacuum arc melting method and characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, elemental mapping, microhardness, and wear tests. The addition of W caused a shift in the 2θ ≈ 44° (110) peak toward lower angles. While the W-free alloy exhibited Body-Centered Cubic (BCC) + B2 phases, W addition led to the formation of a new W-rich phase, and at higher W contents, a pure W phase appeared. The hardness increased from 507.11 HV₁ to 651.81 HV₁ with increasing W content. Furthermore, wear resistance improved and the coefficient of friction decreased with higher W addition. When comparing the W-free alloy to the alloy with the highest W content, the wear rate decreased by approximately 1.85 times under a 2 N load and 1.89 times under a 5 N load. These results demonstrate that W addition significantly enhances the wear resistance of AlCoCrFeNi-based HEAs by nearly twofold. Full article

Background: Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability, affecting over three billion people worldwide. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is among the most feared and uniformly fatal neurodegenerative diseases, with no therapy capable of restoring lost function. Methods: We report the first application of therapeutic fever to ALS using Computerized Brain-Guided Intelligent Thermofebrile Therapy (CBIT²). This fully noninvasive treatment, delivered through an FDA-approved computerized platform, digitally reengineers the 1927 Nobel Prize-recognized malarial fever therapy into a modern treatment guided by the Brain–Eyelid Thermoregulatory Tunnel. CBIT² induces therapeutic fever through synchronized hypothalamic feedback, activating heat shock proteins, which are known to restore proteostasis and neuronal function. Case presentation: A 56-year-old woman was diagnosed with progressive ALS at the Mayo Clinic, with electromyography (EMG) demonstrating fibrillation and fasciculation indicative of denervation corroborated by neurological and MRI findings; the patient was informed that she had an expected survival of three to five years. A neurologist from Northwestern University confirmed the diagnosis and thus maintained the patient on FDA-approved ALS drugs (riluzole and edaravone). Her condition rapidly worsened despite pharmacological treatment, and she underwent CBIT², resulting in (i) electrophysiological reversal with complete disappearance of denervation; (ii) biomarker correction, including reductions in neurofilament and homocysteine, IL-10 normalization (previously linked to mortality), and robust HSP70 induction; (iii) restoration of gait, swallowing, respiration, speech, and cognition; (iv) reconstitution of tongue structure; and (v) return to complex motor tasks, including golf, pickleball, and swimming. Discussion: This case provides the first documented evidence that ALS can be reversed through digitally reengineered fever therapy aligned with thermoregulation, which induces heat shock response and upregulates heat shock proteins, resulting in the patient no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for ALS and discontinuation of ALS-specific medications. Beyond ALS, shared protein-misfolding pathology suggests that CBIT² may extend to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related disorders. By modernizing this Nobel Prize-recognized therapeutic principle with computerized precision, CBIT² establishes a framework for large-scale clinical trials. A century after fever therapy restored lost brain function and so decisively reversed dementia paralytica such that it earned the 1927 Nobel Prize in Medicine, CBIT² now safely harnesses the therapeutic power of fever through noninvasive, intelligent, brain-guided thermal modulation. Amid a global brain health crisis, fever-based therapies may offer a path to preserve thought, memory, movement, and independence for the more than one-third of humanity currently affected by neurological disorders. Full article

Junctionless (JL) thin-film transistors (TFTs) are promising candidates for low-cost, large-area electronic devices, but improvements in mobility and bias stability are still required. In this study, the effects of independent annealing of the indium oxide (InO_x) channel layer and the aluminum oxide (AlO_x) capping layer (CL) on the performance and reliability of InO_x/AlO_x heterostructure JL TFTs are examined. Devices were fabricated via solution deposition and photopatterning, and the InO_x and AlO_x layers were annealed at 250 °C and 400 °C. Increasing the annealing temperature from 250 °C to 400 °C, the InO_x layer crystallized and densified. The AlO_x layer remained amorphous at both temperatures, but its metal-hydroxyl content decreased with higher annealing. For both layers, JL TFTs annealed at 400 °C exhibited the best electrical performance (threshold voltage = 1.82 ± 0.40 V, subthreshold swing = 0.50 ± 0.07 V dec⁻¹, saturation mobility = 1.57 ± 0.37 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹). The threshold voltage shift under positive bias stress was 1.70 V, which demonstrates excellent bias stability. These results show that simultaneous high-temperature annealing of the channel and CL is essential to reduce trap-assisted scattering and stabilize electrostatics in JL TFTs, providing practical process guidelines for bias-stable and high-performance oxide electronics. Full article

By adjusting the Cu layer thickness, this study systematically investigated the evolution of the microstructure and optoelectronic properties of WZO/Al/Cu/Al/WZO multilayer films. The results indicated that all the films exhibited a ZnO phase with hexagonal wurtzite structure and a Cu phase with face-centered cubic structure, showing preferred orientations along the (002) and (111) planes, respectively. As the Cu layer thickness increased from 5 nm to 13 nm, its crystallinity was substantially improved, with the grain size gradually increasing from 4.7 nm to 12.4 nm. In contrast, the crystalline quality of ZnO first improved and then deteriorated, reaching an optimum at a Cu layer thickness of 7 nm. With increasing the Cu layer thickness, the visible light absorption loss was enhanced and then resulted in a gradual decrease in transmittance from 79.2% to 68.0%. Benefiting from the significant improvement in the crystallinity and continuity of the Cu layer, the resistivity sharply decreased from 1.7 × 10⁻³ Ω·cm to 7.1 × 10⁻⁵ Ω·cm and tended to saturate when the thickness exceeded 9 nm. As the Cu thickness increased to 11 nm, the figure of merit (F_OM) reached a maximum value of 4.4 × 10⁻³ Ω⁻¹, demonstrating the optimal optoelectronic performance. Full article

This study addresses the critical issue of environmental pollution from plastic waste by investigating an effective chemical recycling method for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) via neutral catalytic hydrolysis. We utilized a recoverable and regenerable composite catalyst based on cracking zeolite and γ-Al₂O₃, which possesses both Brønsted and Lewis acidic sites that facilitate the depolymerization of PET into its constituent monomers, terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). This investigation reveals that the catalytic performance is strongly dependent on the total acid site concentration and the specific nature of these sites. A key finding is that a balanced acidic profile with a high proportion of Brønsted acid sites is crucial for enhancing PET hydrolysis attributed to a significant decrease in the activation energy of the reaction. The experiments were conducted in a stirred stainless-steel autoclave reactor, where key parameters such as temperature (210–230 °C), the PET-to-water ratio (1:2 to 1:5), and reaction time were systematically varied. Under optimal conditions of 210 °C and a 6 h reaction time, the process achieved near-complete PET depolymerization (99.5%) and a high TPA yield (90.24%). The catalyst demonstrated remarkable recyclability, maintained its activity over multiple cycles and was easily regenerated. Furthermore, the recovered TPA was of high quality, with a purity of 98.74% as confirmed by HPLC, and exhibited a melt crystallization temperature 14 °C lower than that of the commercial standard. These results not only demonstrate the efficiency and sustainability of neutral catalytic hydrolysis using zeolite/alumina composites but also provide valuable insights for designing advanced catalysts with tunable acidic properties. By demonstrating the importance of tuning acidic properties, specifically the balance between Brønsted and Lewis sites, this work lays a foundation for developing more effective catalysts that can advance circular economy goals for PET recycling. Full article

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of annealing (at temperatures ranging from 260 °C to 530 °C) of thin-walled Al-Mn-Mg-Ti-Zr samples manufactured by selective laser melting (SLM) on their tensile mechanical properties, hardness, and surface roughness. The results of this study may contribute to the development of post-processing modes for thin-walled products made of corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys with increased strength, manufactured using SLM technology. Hierarchical clustering methods allowed us to identify three groups of thin-walled samples with different strain-hardening mechanisms depending on the annealing temperature. The greatest hardening is achieved in the first group of samples annealed at 530 °C. Metallographic analysis showed that at this heat treatment temperature, there are practically no micropores (macrodefects) and microcracks. X-ray phase analysis showed the precipitation of Ti and Zr, as well as the formation of an intermetallic phase with a composition of Mg8Al16. At lower heat treatment temperatures, from 260 °C to 500 °C, the observed hardening is statistically significantly lower than at 530 °C. This phenomenon, combined with the formation of intermetallic phases and the precipitation of titanium/zirconium, contributes to the hardening of thin-walled Al-Mn-Mg-Ti-Zr alloy samples manufactured by SLM. The main results of this study show that the optimal strain hardening of thin-walled Al-Mn-Mg-Ti-Zr alloy samples manufactured by SLM is achieved by heat treatment at 530 °C for 1 h. The strengthening mechanism has two characteristics: (1) dispersion strengthening due to the formation of precipitates and (2) reduction in macrodefects at high temperatures. Full article